[MilCom] HF Comms Help

[Duane Mantick]

I'll leave some other material for others to address
and attack the antenna issue.

While I'm not familiar with that particular radio and
thus don't know what type of antenna connector is on
it, or just what they sent you for a wire antenna.....

Some general suggestions:  First, a *receiving*
antenna for frequencies BELOW 30 MHz (generally this
is considered the upper limit of "HF" bands) can be
about any length of wire and it can be hung up in a
wide variety of ways and work quite nicely. HEIGHT is
generally more important than LENGTH, and how you
connect to it can make a huge world of difference.
Some folks will say that longer is better and there's
some truth to that but not everyone is on 40 acres and
can string up a couple hundred feet of wire.  So a lot
depends on what your living situation is.  I've been
able to do a lot with wires strung up in attics, not
only for reception but for transmission as well
(Amateur Radio op here).  

That being said, while you can get away with maybe 15
or 20 feet of wire up in the 20 to 30 MHz range, this
will not be terribly effective for lower frequencies
which have longer wavelengths.  Cheap, quick and dirty
suggests you get up the longest wire you can and it
may not be perfect for everything - but it will work
(better) over a broader range of frequencies than a
shorter wire.........

I could write a book on this, but I suspect that this
would not be well received by the group.  :-)  So let
me suggest some sources for VERY good references on
antennas and related products. (Which is to say that
others have already written those books...  :-)  )

First, request a catalog from Amateur Electronic
Supply, generally known as "AES".  Go to
http://www.aesham.com  and on the left side you'll see
clickable links that let you view the catalog online
and also request one by mail. Definitely get one via
mail - this catalog is an excellent source of antennas
and parts plus a good reference for "what's out
there".

Next thing I'll suggest is to drop some bucks for the
"ARRL Antenna Book", which I think you can order from
AES.  It ain't cheap, about $45 and I think now
includes a CD......BUT, you will find a TON of antenna
do-it-yourself projects and other antenna info. in
there.  These are all tried and true designs that
WORK.  Plus, you'll learn how to find the right
connectors and how to use them with coaxial cable,
flat lead, whatever you're going to do.  And this book
addresses some ways to get around difficult
installations so you can get the most out of the space
that you have.

There are other books on the subject and many of them
are good and there may be some that are specific to
SWL/HF but the "ARRL Antenna Book" may be the best one
around.....

More short term? Get whatever antenna you've got as
high up as you can and AWAY from as many sources of
electrical noise as you can.  Sometimes easier said
than done, but HF reception is *extremely" susceptible
to all manner of electrical noise that can destroy
your ability to hear anything else. Word to the wise:
DISCONNECT the antenna when not in use so that any
thunderstorm that comes along doesn't pop a bolt of
lightning into it and blow the radio up.

Hope that gets you off to a good start.

Duane
WB9OMC

--- Keith Coleman <kcoleman at elmore.rr.com> wrote:

> At the risk of being off topic..
> 
> I'm in search of some advise/help from those much
> more knowledgeable than
> myself.
> 
> This weekend I stepped into the world of SW/HF
> monitoring. I purchased an
> Eton E5. While this radio by all accounts seems
> pretty good (and I got a
> good deal), it has many features, I'm a little
> overwhelmed by the vastness
> of HF and what is available to monitor.
> 
> I guess what I'm looking for is a beginners list of
> freqs to get started. I
> have already heard Offut and Andrews AFBs  on 11175.
> 
> 
> How might I best utilize the supplied wire antenna?
> (Currently stretched
> around the small room I'm in).
> 
>  
> 
> My apologies for bringing this into the milcom
> groups..but I figured some of
> you gents are the experts. Please feel free to
> contact me off-list. Thanks
> for your time and help.  
> 
> Regards,
> 
> ===============================
> Keith
> Monitoring Central Alabama
> ===============================
> 
>  
> 
>
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